Epidemiology and clinical features of retinoblastoma: A tertiary care center's experience in India.

Introduction: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a prototype of heritable cancers. It is more common in the lower socioeconomic strata. Delayed presentation significantly reduces the overall outcome.

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor of the central nervous system: Case series from a regional Tertiary Care Cancer Centre in South India.

Background: Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) constitute a rare group of pediatric brain tumors.

Aim: To study the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical (IHC) profile, management and outcome of children with AT/RT of the central nervous system who presented between the years 2007 and 2015 in a regional tertiary care center in South India.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study.

Histological diversity and clinical characteristics of Ewing sarcoma family of tumors in children: A series from a tertiary care center in South India.

Background: The Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) are aggressive malignant tumors with small round cell morphology affecting mainly children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to classify the histological diversity and clinical characteristics of ESFT in children from a Tertiary Care Center in South India.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective descriptive study includes 51 cases of ES in children aged below 15 years.

Risk of hepatitis B infection in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a tertiary care center from South India.

Background: The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is high in Asian countries. Little is known about outcome of leukemia in HBV infected patients in these regions. Hence, we conducted this study in two cohorts of patients.

Flagellate erythema induced by bleomycin toxicity.

Bleomycin is a chemotherapeutic antibiotic used in various malignancies. Its toxicity is mainly lung and skin with marrow sparing effect. Here we would like to describe a characteristic skin reaction developed because of bleomycin in a case of intracranial germ cell tumor.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a single institution experience from India.

Background: Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) accounts for 2-8% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in adults and 10-15% in children. While there is ample data in the world literature about the clinical features and outcome of this disease, prognosis in Indian patients is largely unknown.

Objective: To study the clinical, pathologic profile and outcome ALCL.

Primary pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma in children: Report of three cases with review of literature.

Primary pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma in children is rare. Three children aged three, nine and three years were evaluated for abnormal shadows on radiological examination with pneumothorax in two cases. Resection and histopathological examination revealed embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in all and cystic malformation in first case.

Cell-free epstein-barr viral loads in childhood hodgkin lymphoma: a study from South India.

Cell-free Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA is detectable in plasma of patients with EBV-related lymphomas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of plasma EBV DNA as a biomarker of EBV association in childhood Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Furthermore, an attempt was made to evaluate the effectiveness of viral quantitation for assessing response to chemotherapy.

Langerhan's cell histiocytosis: A single institutional experience.

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a disease that primarily affects bone but can be associated with a clinical spectrum that ranges from a solitary bone lesion with a favorable natural history to a multisystem, life-threatening disease process.

Aim: We analyzed our single institutional experience of managing children with LCH.

Settings And Design: A total of 40 children of LCH, managed in tertiary cancer center in South India in the period from 2001 to 2005, were evaluated retrospectively.

Hepatoblastoma: experience from a single center.

Background: The cornerstones of successful treatment of hepatoblastoma (HB) include preoperative chemotherapy followed by complete anatomical resection of tumor, followed by chemotherapy. Advances in chemotherapy in the last 2 decades have been associated with a higher rate of tumor response and possibly a greater potential for resectability.

Aims: We analyzed our single center experience with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and surgery in HBs.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms and risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children.

Introduction: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a critical enzyme in folate metabolism and is involved in DNA synthesis, DNA repair and DNA methylation. Genetic polymorphisms of this enzyme have been shown to impact several diseases, including cancer. Leukemias are malignancies arising from rapidly proliferating hematopoietic cells having great requirement of DNA synthesis.

Association between plasma homocysteine and riboflavin status in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in children.

Remethylation of homocysteine to methionine is dependent on an adequate supply of one or more of the B vitamins like folate, vitamin B(12) and vitamin B(6). Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is also influenced by genetic factors such as polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene. MTHFR is a flavo enzyme and a key player in folate metabolism and changes in its activity could modify the susceptibility to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).